1986 NBA Draft
1986 NBA Draft - 17 June 1986 See also: List of NBA Drafts, NBA Draft * NBA Rookie of the Year Award (1987): Chuck Person (# 4) * The Slam Dunk Champion for 1989 would come in the form of Kenny “Sky” Walker the fifth pick. Synopsis The draft of role-players, drugs, and bad luck—this sums up the 1986 NBA Draft. But with all of the black clouds and bad luck, there would be some bright spots and nice surprises. How many NBA drafts do you see having the better players come out of rounds two and three? (The NBA Draft now only has two rounds.) Three teams, the Detroit Pistons, Portland Trail Blazers, and Cleveland Cavaliers, actually did well with this draft. The role of any NBA draft for a team is to: A) get to the NBA Finals, and B) win the NBA Finals. Every team wants to draft the next Michael Jordan or Shaquille O'Neal, but that doesn't always happen, but sometimes a team can obtain a role player that fits well with that team's overall success. * The Detroit Pistons made two solid draft choices: John Salley at #11, and Dennis Rodman at #27. The two players would put forward pivotal performances in three straight NBA Finals appearances for the Pistons in 1988, 1989, and 1990. Salley would come off the bench and be a versatile player backing up both the center and power forward positions, while Rodman would start at small forward and use hustle, quickness, and intuition to outrebound power forwards and centers. Detroit would win two of the three, 1989 and 1990. In 1988 they would lose to the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games, in 1989 the Pistons would sweep the Lakers in four straight, and in 1990 they would defeat Portland four games to one. Detroit would also have two additional Eastern Conference Championship appearances on either end of the three straight Finals trips; in 1987 they lost to the Boston Celtics in seven games, and they were swept in four games by the Chicago Bulls in 1991. These would not be the last titles for either player. Rodman joined the Bulls in 1995, becoming a starter on the Bulls' last three championship teams of the Jordan era. Salley was a reserve on the 1995-96 Bulls. He retired following that season, but came out of retirement to join the Lakers for their 1999-2000 championship season. With that title, Salley became the first NBA player to play on championship teams for three different franchises. * The Portland Trail Blazers had a throwaway draft pick in the form of Walter Berry (at #14). Berry turned up to training camp with no work ethic and a poor attitude. He seemed to have an eighth-grade education, at best, and was lazy, and only lasted one week into the season. The hope for the Blazers was to be found in the east, across the Atlantic, in Europe. First, there was Arvydas Sabonis (selected at #24), but it would take Sabonis nearly ten years to get to Portland, by which time he had lost most of his mobility to a series of knee and Achilles injuries. A lot of Blazer fans have been playing “what if” for a while now. Even a semi-hobbled Sabonis would finish as runner-up for the Rookie of the Year and Sixth Man awards at age 32! He would help the Blazers get to two Western Conference Finals. In 1999 Portland was swept by Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs, and in 2000 they would lose to Shaq and Los Angeles Lakers in seven games. Another reason Portland fared well from the 1986 draft was Kevin Duckworth. Duckworth, drafted 33rd by the San Antonio Spurs, would go from an overweight perennial benchwarmer from a small school, Eastern Illinois University, to the league’s Most Improved Player in 1988, a two-time All-Star (1989 & 1991), and average over 15 points-per-game over four seasons (1988-1991). He would be the starting center on two NBA Finals teams, 1990, where Portland lost to Detroit four games to one, and 1992, where the team lost to the Chicago Bulls four games to two. In addition they would lose to the Lakers in the 1991 Western Conference Finals, four games to two. * The Cleveland Cavaliers, in addition to picking up Brad Daugherty with the first pick, and Ron Harper with the eighth pick, obtained Mark Price with the 25th pick. Daugherty, although never a big NBA star, would be a 5-time All-Star, with 41 playoff game appearances, and Price would be the floor leader for Cleveland with eight solid seasons at the point guard position, a 4-time All-Star, and appear in 47 playoff games. Price and Daugherty, would lead the Cavs, along with Larry Nance and John "Hot Rod" Williams (drafted a year earlier), to the 1992 Eastern Conference Finals, beating the New Jersey Nets and the Boston Celtics along the way. But, Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls were waiting for them in the conference finals, and Jordan would go on to put Craig Ehlo on every highlight film for the rest of the year, and the Bulls beat Cleveland four games to two. * The second round as a whole was solid, with Mark Price (# 25), Dennis Rodman (# 27), Larry Krystkowiak (# 28), Johnny Newman (# 29), Nate McMillan (# 30), Kevin Duckworth (# 33), and Jeff Hornacek (# 46). These seven players taken from the second round would all have solid careers. Krystkowiak’s would be cut short with knee injuries, and Newman would be a journeyman, playing 16 seasons with nine different teams. But the other five would all make their mark in the NBA. Biggest surprise The real prize winner for Portland came in the form of the 60th pick in the draft (that was halfway through round three.), and Dražen Petrović. Petrović would go from almost total obscurity to become one of the most exciting guards in the league, only to have it all cut short with his untimely death in an automobile accident. When drafted, it seemed like there was no place for a shooting guard like Drazen on the Blazers at all. At the time, Portland already had two excellent shooting guards on the team. First there was 10-time All-Star, and one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players, in the form of Clyde Drexler, the second best 2-guard in the league behind Michael Jordan. Second, the back up “2”, or shooting guard, was a 2-time All-Star, and one of Portland favorite players, Jim Paxson (John Paxson’s older brother). The choice of Petrović looked like another throwaway choice. But by the time Drazen would make it to Oregon, in 1990, Paxson would be gone from team, and Petrović would fit right in backing up Drexler. The 1990 Trail Blazer team would have their best chance to win a championship since Bill Walton had left 12 seasons earlier. They met the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals, and the Pistons would win the series four games to one. The difference in the series was a backup shooting guard, but not Petrović, it was Vinnie “the Microwave” Johnson. Drexler was better than his counterpart, Joe Dumars, but Joe played tough defense, and when Drexler went to the bench for a rest, the “Microwave” would come in off the Detroit bench for Dumars (or Dumars would rotate to the point, and Vinnie would give Isiah Thomas a rest), and heat-up. Called "Microwave" for his “instant” offense, Vinnie Johnson would be the difference in the Piston victory. Petrović looked lost in the finals, and was ineffective; he would be traded to the New Jersey Nets only 18 games into the following season. Two years after the 1990 Finals, Portland again made it to the Finals, but, by this time Dražen Petrović was gone and Danny Ainge was the backup shooting guard. Once again a guard off of the bench from the other team would be the surprise star of the Championship; Craig Hodges would hit key three-point baskets when the starters for Portland had gone to the bench. Between the disappointment in the Finals and the subsequent trade, Drazen would spend the next summer (1991) on a campaign to improve himself. He would come back to the Nets a totally different player, now scrappier and more determined; he would double his points-per-game average from 10 to 20 for the next two seasons. He would also double his assists and steals per-game, and push New Jersey into the first round of both the 1992 and 1993 playoffs. His improved drive would earn him a spot on the 1993 All-NBA 3rd team. You could see the renewed passion and determination on his face when he played. That summer, not long after the Nets lost in the 1st round of the Eastern Conference playoffs to the Cleveland Cavaliers (three games to two), Drazen died on the Autobahn near Denkendorf, Germany (7 June 1993). Biggest disappointment This has to be drugs in the form of Len Bias (at # 2) and Chris Washburn (# 3). Bias looked to be the heir apparent to Larry Bird for the Boston Celtics, a combination of Jordan and Bird, and compared to Bernard King at his best, in size and style. Bias would die from cocaine-induced heart failure before he ever made his NBA debut. Washburn looked like the next Karl Malone, at least in physical appearance, but not in moral fiber and work ethic. Washburn would test positive for drugs three times in as many years and get banned from the league. Two more lottery picks, William Bedford (# 6) and Roy Tarpley (# 7), would also lose their careers to substance abuse. Second biggest disappointment would be how the Philadelphia 76ers traded away two first round draft picks, including the #1 pick, for 3 veterans who subsequently underperformed. They traded the #1 pick, which they originally got in the to Cleveland for veteran Roy Hinson, and the #21 pick to Washington in exchange for Jeff Ruland and Chris Robinson as part of the Moses Malone trade. Ruland only played 5 games the next year, Hinson was traded to New Jersey in 1988, while Robinson had 2 decent years before he too got injured in 1989. A perennial contender for the title up to that point, they never really recovered until Allen Iverson was drafted in 1996. Round One (*) compensation for draft choices traded away by Ted Stepien Round Two Round Three ** 48. Forrest McKenzie Loyola Marymount San Antonio ** 49. Juden Smith Texas-El Paso Portland ** 50. Kevin Henderson Cal State Fullerton Cleveland ** 51. Mike Williams Bradley Golden State ** 52. Ricky Wilson George Mason Chicago ** 53. Tod Murphy UC Irvine Seattle ** 54. Dwayne Polee Pepperdine LA Clippers ** 55. Kenny Gattison Old Dominion Phoenix ** 56. Keith Colbert Virginia Tech Philadelphia ** 57. Bruce Douglas Illinois Sacramento ** 58. David Henderson Duke Washington ** 59. Wendell Alexis Syracuse Golden State ** 60. Dražen Petrović Yugoslavia Portland ** 61. John Shasky Minnesota Utah ** 62. Anthony Welch Illinois Dallas ** 63. Bill Breeding Rocky Mountain Utah ** 64. Don Redden Louisiana State Denver ** 65. Dave Hoppen Nebraska Atlanta ** 66. Anthony Bowie Oklahoma Houston ** 67. Ron Rowan St. John's Philadelphia ** 68. Baskerville Holmes Memphis State Milwaukee ** 69. Andre Turner Memphis State LA Lakers ** 70. Jim Les Bradley Atlanta Round Four ** 71. Calvin Thompson Kansas New York ** 72. Derrick Taylor Louisiana State Indiana ** 73. Warren Martin North Carolina Cleveland ** 74. Scott Meents Illinois Chicago ** 75. Dan Bingenheimer Missouri Golden State ** 76. Michael Graham Georgetown Seattle ** 77. Grant Gondrezick Pepperdine Phoenix ** 78. John Brownlee Texas LA Clippers ** 79. Carlos Briggs Baylor San Antonio ** 80. Alvin Franklin Houston Sacramento ** 81. Steve Hale North Carolina New Jersey ** 82. Barry Mungar St. Bonaventure Washington ** 83. David Shaffer Florida State Portland ** 84. Marty Embry DePaul Utah ** 85. Myron Jackson Arkansas-Little Rock Dallas ** 86. Chauncey Robinson Mississippi State Detroit ** 87. Anthony Watson San Diego State Denver ** 88. Efrem Winters Illinois Atlanta ** 89. Conner Henry UC Santa Barbara Houston ** 90. Wes Stallings East Tennessee State Philadelphia ** 91. Bob Beecher Virginia Tech Sacramento ** 92. Dale Blaney West Virginia LA Lakers ** 93. Tony Benford Texas Tech Boston Round Five ** 94. Jerome Mincy UAB New York ** 95. Richard Rellford Michigan Indiana ** 96. Ben Davis Gardner-Webb Cleveland ** 97. Clinton Smith Cleveland State Golden State ** 98. Jimmy Gilbert Texas A&M Chicago ** 99. Dominic Pressley Boston College Seattle ** 100. Steffond Johnson San Diego State LA Clippers ** 101. Greg Spurling Carson-Newman Phoenix ** 102. Earl Kelley Connecticut San Antonio ** 103. Keith Morrison Washington State Sacramento ** 104. Paul Fortier Washington Washington ** 105. Archie Johnson UAB New Jersey ** 106. Jerry Adams Oregon Portland ** 107. Kerry Boagni Cal State Fullerton Utah ** 108. Jay Bilas Duke Dallas ** 109. Clarence Hanley Old Dominion Detroit ** 110. Jon Collins Eastern Illinois Denver ** 111. Nicky Jones Virginia Commonwealth Atlanta ** 112. Andre Banks Iowa Houston ** 113. Kevin Holmes DePaul Philadelphia ** 114. Bobby Deaton Southwestern (TX) Milwaukee ** 115. Roger Harden Kentucky LA Lakers ** 116. Dave Colbert Dayton Boston Round Six ** 117. Butch Wade Michigan New York ** 118. Jeff Hall Louisville Indiana ** 119. Gilbert Wilburn New Mexico State Cleveland ** 120. Pete Myers Arkansas-Little Rock Chicago ** 121. Bobby Lee Hurt Alabama Golden State ** 122. Curtis Kitchen South Florida Seattle ** 123. Jim McCaffrey Holy Cross Phoenix ** 124. Tim Kempton Notre Dame LA Clippers ** 125. Kevin Lewis SMU San Antonio ** 126. John Flowers UNLV Sacramento ** 127. Troy Webster George Washington New Jersey ** 128. Lorenzo Duncan Sam Houston State Washington ** 129. Tony Hampton Montana State Portland ** 130. Chuck Everson Villanova Utah ** 131. Greg Anderson Lamar Dallas ** 132. Greg Grant Utah State Detroit ** 133. Anthony Fredrick Pepperdine Denver ** 134. Alexander Volkov USSR Atlanta ** 135. Robert Worthy Dyke (OH) Houston ** 136. Andre McCloud Seton Hall Philadelphia ** 137. John Kimbrell David Lipscomb Milwaukee ** 138. Walter Downing Marquette LA Lakers ** 139. Greg Wendt Detroit Boston Round Seven ** 140. Duane Kendall South Carolina New York ** 141. Steve Woodside Oregon State Indiana ** 142. Ralph Dalton Georgetown Cleveland ** 143. Steve Kenilvort Santa Clara Golden State ** 144. Robert Henderson Michigan Chicago ** 145. Glen McCants Clemson Seattle ** 146. Johnny Brown New Mexico LA Clippers ** 147. Damon Goodwin Dayton Phoenix ** 148. Michael Anderson Pan American San Antonio ** 149. Ron Rankin SE Missouri State Sacramento ** 150. Joe Price Notre Dame Washington ** 151. Jim Dolan Notre Dame New Jersey ** 152. Randy Schiff Linfield Portland ** 153. Mark Mitchell Hartford Utah ** 154. Kim Cooksey Middle Tennessee State Dallas ** 155. Larry Polec Michigan State Detroit ** 156. Mike Marshall McNeese State Denver ** 157. Valery Tikhonenko USSR Atlanta ** 158. Rick Olson Wisconsin Houston ** 159. Dan Palombizio Ball State Philadelphia ** 160. Jeff Strong Missouri Milwaukee ** 161. Mark Coleman Mississippi Valley St LA Lakers ** 162. Tom Ivey Boston U Boston NBA Draft Category:National Basketball Association Draft